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Sleep Dysfunction and EEG Alterations in Mice Overexpressing Alpha-Synuclein

BACKGROUND: Sleep disruptions occur early and frequently in Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD patients also show a slowing of resting state activity. Alpha-synuclein is causally linked to PD and accumulates in sleep-related brain regions. While sleep problems occur in over 75% of PD patients and severely...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: McDowell, Kimberly A., Shin, David, Roos, Kenneth P., Chesselet, Marie-Françoise
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: IOS Press 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5777499/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24867919
http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JPD-140374
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: Sleep disruptions occur early and frequently in Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD patients also show a slowing of resting state activity. Alpha-synuclein is causally linked to PD and accumulates in sleep-related brain regions. While sleep problems occur in over 75% of PD patients and severely impact the quality of life of patients and caregivers, their study is limited by a paucity of adequate animal models. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether overexpression of wildtype alpha-synuclein could lead to alterations in sleep patterns reminiscent of those observed in PD by measuring sleep/wake activity with rigorous quantitative methods in a well-characterized genetic mouse model. METHODS: At 10 months of age, mice expressing human wildtype alpha-synuclein under the Thy-1 promoter (Thy1-aSyn) and wildtype littermates underwent the subcutaneous implantation of a telemetry device (Data Sciences International) for the recording of electromyograms (EMG) and electroencephalograms (EEG) in freely moving animals. Surgeries and data collection were performed without knowledge of mouse genotype. RESULTS: Thy1-aSyn mice showed increased non-rapid eye movement sleep during their quiescent phase, increased active wake during their active phase, and decreased rapid eye movement sleep over a 24-h period, as well as a shift in the density of their EEG power spectra toward lower frequencies with a significant decrease in gamma power during wakefulness. CONCLUSIONS: Alpha-synuclein overexpression in mice produces sleep disruptions and altered oscillatory EEG activity reminiscent of PD, and this model provides a novel platform to assess mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for sleep dysfunction in PD.